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By Philip Pullella
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| Pope John Paul II kneels at the Holy Door of St.
Peter's basilica during the closing ceremony of the
year 2000 Catholic Jubilee, January 6, 2001. The 80-year-old
Pontiff celebrated mass for more than 100,000 and issued
an 82 page Apostolic Letter on the new millennium. (Massimo
Sambucetti/Pool via Reuters) |
VATICAN
CITY (Reuters) - Pope John Paul, marking a milestone of
his papacy, on Saturday brought to an end the Roman Catholic
Church's millennium Holy Year and again appeared to quash
speculation he could retire.
The
conclusion of the Holy Year was the fulfillment of a personal
dream for the 80-year-old pontiff, whose health has been
failing in recent years.
The
Pope ended the 2000 Jubilee year by closing the ``Holy Door''
in St Peter's Basilica, celebrating a mass for more than
100,000 people in the square outside and issuing an 82-page
Apostolic Letter on the new millennium. In the letter, the
Pope announced that all money left over after expenses for
the Holy Year were covered would be placed in a new endowment
fund dedicated to charitable purposes.
The
Pope prayed and then drew shut the door which is only opened
in Holy Years, during which Catholics make pilgrimages toRome
or to their local cathedrals.
The
next Holy Year is scheduled to take place in 2025, unless
the Pope or one of his successors proclaims an extraordinary
Jubilee before then.
Some
25 million people have traveled to Rome for this Holy Year,
which began on Christmas Eve 1999, and most of them walked
across the threshold of the Holy Door into the atrium of
Christendom's largest church.
The
Pope, who wore gold and white vestments during Saturday's
ceremony, was determined to reach the millennium, conclude
its celebrations and continue his ministry.
Driving
him in no small measure were the words whispered to him
by the late Polish Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski moments after
his shock election in the Sistine Chapel on October 16,
1978.
``If
God has chosen you, he has chosen you to lead the Church
into the next millennium,'' Wyszynski told then Cardinal
Karol Wojtyla at the time.
Lessons
For The Church
In his
sermon at Saturday's mass, the Pope said the experience
of the Holy Year -- during which Catholics made ''theme''
pilgrimages based on their professions, age group or social
condition -- could provide useful lessons for the Church.
He again
appeared to quash speculation in the past year that he might
consider retiring after the end of the Jubilee celebrations.
``We
return to our normal activities, but this is something quite
different from taking a rest,'' he said in a sermon which
he read in a strong, clear voice.
``Rather,
we need to draw from the experience of the Jubilee useful
lessons which can give inspiration and effective direction
to our new commitment,'' he said.
Popes
usually reign for life but John Paul's increasing frailty
has led to suggestions that he could become the first pontiff
in 700 years to retire -- a possibility dismissed by the
Vatican.
In his
sermon, the Pope also said Catholics should give thanks
for everything the Holy Year afforded.
Particularly
important, he said, was the possibility of asking God's
forgiveness for sins in the history of the Church, including
those committed against Jews.
``The
Great Jubilee has offered us an extraordinary opportunity
to carry out the purification of memories, seeking God's
forgiveness for the infidelities of the Church's children
during these 2000 years,'' he said.
Door
Bricked Up Until Next Holy Year
Now
the Holy Door is shut, one side of it will be blocked with
bricks and mortar until the next Holy Year.
Bricked
up inside the door will be an urn with medals commemorating
each of the 23 years of the current pontificate and a parchment
document about the Holy Year.
Holy
Years are commemorative years when the faithful can receive
special indulgences if they fulfil certain conditions, including
passing through the Holy Doors.
Indulgences
are remission of temporal punishment -- suffering in either
this life or the next -- in order to purify a soul of sins
that have already been forgiven in confession.
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